They can’t handle what they already have: Omar Abdullah snaps back at Pak PM over Kashmir remark

Abdullah, leader of the National Conference, quipped, “We will be part of them? They can’t even handle what they already have. What will they do with us?”

Sharif had made the comments on Thursday during Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s observance of ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day,’ recalling Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s description of the region as the country’s “jugular vein” and asserting that “Kashmir will become a part of Pakistan.”

India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is, and shall forever remain” an integral part of the country, with Home Minister Amit Shah reiterating that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir belongs to India.

Indus Water Treaty update

On a separate note, Abdullah addressed the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), saying that while the treaty remains in abeyance, Jammu and Kashmir has not yet seen direct benefits.

Existing projects such as Ratle and Pakal Dul are unaffected in terms of design, scope, or power generation capacity.

However, Abdullah highlighted that future projects may benefit from increased flexibility.